Grate-bar.



E. F. ROWLEY.

GRATE BAR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 15, 1912.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916;

a woawtoz ERNEST F. ROWLEY, OF BIRMINGHAJNI, ALABAMA.

GRATE-BAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

Application filed October 15, 1912. Serial No. 725,894.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST F. RowLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jelferson and State of Alabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in Grate-Bars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to grate bars for furnaces and fire boxes, and it has for its object to produce a grate bar unit of simple and inexpensive construction which shall possess superior advantages in point of durability and general efliciency.

Various means have heretofore been resorted to for the purpose of lengthening the life of grate bars in view of the intense and variable heat to which they are subjected. Thus, for instance, so called reversible grate bars have been made on the supposition that after one surface of the bar has become burnt or deteriorated by use, the life of the bar might be lengthened by upending or reversing the same so as'to expose a fresh surface for active use. Practically,

however, it is found that the reversal of a' grate bar is practically impossible in a majority of instances, because any injury to a grate bar, whether caused by burnlng, cracking or other reasons, is almost invariably accompanied by warping, whereby the grate bar is distorted so as to make reversal thereof impossible. Again, if the grate bar is already weakened by burning or cracking, merely reversing it will not strengthen it to the extent of enabling it to withstand wear and usage which it would not withstand prior to being inverted.

By the present invention I aim to produce a nonreversible grate bar possessing great strength and wear resisting qualities, the same being reinforced and strengthened throughout where reinforcement and strength is needed, while parts not subjected to hard usage are left comparatively light in order to save material.

A further object of the invention is to produce a hollow or tubular grate bar reinforced at the top and having a fuel supporting surface provided with draft apertures of relatively small size, while the sides and bottom of the bar are provided with relatively large openings through which ashes, clinker-forming material and other waste will escape to the ash pit without possibility of accumulating in any obstructing position. A further object of the invention is to produce a grate bar unit having terminal supporting lugs formed by extensions of the reinforced or thickened portion which will be sufliciently heavy and massive to resist the changes of temperature to which they will be subjected without rapid deterioration.

A further object of the invention is to produce a hollow tubular grate bar unit of octagonal cross section having one flat top surface to support the fuel and to guide the cleaning hoe which is used to clean the fire; two inclined surfaces cooperating with the central flat top surface to support the fuel and cooperating with the corresponding surfaces of proximate grate bar units to form pockets for the reception of partly consumed fuel, the combustion of which will be completed in said pockets; two vertical side faces having relatively large elongated openings partly for the circulation of air and partly to lighten the structure, the strength of which, however, remains practioally unimpaired owing to the fact that the structure is trussed and reinforced by the filling material between the openings; and three bottom faces which are lightened by numerous apertures of relatively large size which permit the circulation of air while not obstructing the passage of material dropping through relatively small draft openings in the top surfaces of the bar.

A further object of the invention is to produce a tubular grate bar unit having openings throughout for the circulation of air, the said bar being reinforced in such a fashion as to practically preclude warping.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing has been. illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of theclaims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a top plan View of a grate bar unit constructed in acsary strength.

cordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view showing a plurality of units juxtaposed.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference. The improved grate bar unit shown in the drawing is a hollow bar or tube Awhich has been represented as being externally of regular octagonal shape in cross section, having eight equal sides. It is to be understood, however, that this regular shape may be departed from by making the sides unequal, although it is preferred that a symmetrical shape be retained. The top portion of the bar is greatly thickened and reinforced, as shown at 1, the reinforcement being includedbetween the top face 2 of the octagon and a plane 3 which is preferably below the inclined faces 4, 4 adjacent to the top face 2. The remaining walls of the structure, including those-which are externally bounded by the side faces 5, 5, the bottom face 6 and the inclined faces 7, 7 adjacent to the bottom face are preferably of equal thickness throughout, being made as light as may be consistent with the neces- The thickened or reinforced top portion 1 of the bar is provided with draft openings 8, said draft openings preferably having vertical side wallsso that ashes and other waste material may sift or pass unobstructedly therethrough. The side walls 9, which are externally bounded by the side'faces 5, areprovided with elongated openings 10. Elongated openings 11 of relatively large area are also formed in the bottom wall 12 and in the inclined walls 18 which are externally bounded by the bottom face 6' and the inclined faces 7, respectively. The openings 11, while elongated, are also of relatively great width, each of said openings being formed partly in the bottom wall and partly in one of the inclined walls 13.

The bottom wall 12 is preferably reinforced by a longitudinal rib or web 14 formed on the upper face thereof, interiorly of the tubular bar. The ide walls 9 are provided at intervals with external spacing lugs 15 whereby proximate grate bars will be suit- I abl soaced a art as clearl seen in Fi 4 to permit draft to pass upward between the.

grate bar units and to permit clinker-forming'material, ashes and other wasteto pass therebetween.

The grate bar unit is provided at each end thereof with a supporting lug 16 formed by an extension of the thickened reinforced top portion 1, the entire cross sectional area of which is retained throughout said lugs which are for the purpose of supporting the bar unit on the furnace, walls or on the supporting frame provided for the purpose, as will be readily understood.

The use and advantages of the improved grate bar units will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connectlon with the drawing hereto annexed,

by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains. It is desired to be understood that the draft apertures 8 ex tending through the reinforced portion 1 of the grate bar unit, and the upper ends of which communicate with the top face 2 and with the inclined faces 4, may be of any desired contour and dimensions which willbe governed entirely by the character of fuel that is to be consumed. The fuel will besupported mainly on the top face 2 and onthe inclinedfaces 4:, and it will be seen that the inclined faces 4 of .each

grate bar unit cooperate with the corresponding faces of proximate grate bars to form V-shaped pockets into which partly consumedfuel will drop when the fuel is agitatedby the rake or slicebar, thus permitting the combustion to be completely carried out, the combustion of the fuel material in said pockets being supported by the air currents rising between the grate bars. Large quantities of air will also enter the tubular grate bars through the large openings 11 and 10 in the inclined walls 13 and in the side walls 9, the air on entering the hollow spaces being heated preliminary to ascending through the draft apertures 8.

It is obvious that any material, such as ashes or clinker-forming material, sifting or passingthrough the relatively small openings 8 will readily pass through the :large openings 11 and into the ash pit The fiat top face 2 of thegrate bar unit will readily support the rake or the slice bar used'for cleaning the fire, and keepsuch-tool clear of the pockets between the inclined facesfl of proximate grate bars,;thus enabling the fire to be cleaned without disturbing and wastf ing the partly consumed fuel which may be contained in said pockets. It will be seen that by far the greatest thickness ofmate- .rial is found in the. top of the grate bar unit which is subjected to the mostintense 'heat and where thickness and strength is obviously needed. The sidewalls of the bar unit, as well as the bottom wall 12 and the inclined walls 13, are of relatively light construction, this being made possible, owing to thefact that these portions of the bar unit are maintained in a relatively cool condition by the currents of air entering from below. The side walls, moreover, constitute what may be practically regarded as truss structures, the struts being formed by the solid metallic portions adjacentto the ends ofthe oblong openings. The bar is thus greatly reinforced against any possibility of warping or bending in any direction.

It is desired to be understood that the term solid as herein used is mainly used in contradistinction-to hollow. Thus,=the

reinforced, thickened top portion of the grate bar is regarded as solid in the sense that, while provided with draft apertures, it has no hollow portions. In a like sense, the extended ends of said thickened, reinforced top portion and which are utilized as supporting members to support the weight of the grate, are solid, and not weakened in any part thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. A tubular grate bar unit having a greatly thickened and reinforced solid top portion included between and bounded by a flat top face, inclined side faces adjacent thereto, vertical side faces adjacent to the inclined side faces, and a flat bottom face which is parallel to the top face, said grate bar unithaving also side and bottom wall portions, the solid top portion being provided with relatively small draft apertures and the side and bottom wall portions which are relatively thin being provided with relatively large draft apertures.

2. A tubular grate bar unit having a greatly thickened and reinforced solid top portion included between and bounded by a flat top face, inclined side faces adjacent thereto, vertical side faces adjacent to the inclined side faces, and a flat bottom face which is parallel to the top face, said grate bar unit having also side and bottom wall portions, the solid top portion being provided with relatively small draft apertures and the side and bottom wall portions which are relatively thin being provided with rela tively large draft apertures; the thickened and reinforced top portion being terminally extended to form solid supporting lugs.

3. A tubular grate bar unit having a greatly. thickened and reinforced solid top portion included between and bounded by a fiat top face, inclined side faces adjacent thereto, vertical side faces adjacent to the inclined side faces, and a flat bottom face which is parallel to the top face, said grate bar unit having also side and bottom wall portions, the solid top portion being provided with relatively small draft apertures, and the side and bottom wall portions which are relatively thin being provided with relatively large draft apertures; the thickened and reinforced top portion being terminally extended to form solid supporting lugs, and the bottom wall portion being provided on its upper face with a reinforcing rib extending longitudinally through the tubular bar unit.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST F. ROWLEY.

Witnesses:

WM. BAGGER, H. HOUGI-I.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

